Congress
Helen Toner worries ‘not super functional’ Congress will flub AI policy
Helen Toner, a former OpenAI board member and the director of strategy at Georgetown��s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, is worried Congress might react in a “knee-jerk” way where…
The controversial bill that could ban TikTok faces a rocky road in the Senate
A bill threatening to ban an app beloved by half of the American population just rocketed through the House of Representatives in a week’s time. But in the other chamber…
When some American users opened TikTok on Thursday morning, they were met with a full-screen message encouraging them to call Congress and say no to a TikTok ban. “Speak up…
The House of Representatives has founded a Task Force on artificial intelligence that will “ensure America continues leading in this strategic area,” as Speaker Mike Johnson put it. But the…
George Santos, Republican ex-congressman, certified grifter and unlikely gay icon, is now on Cameo. Santos’ stint in Congress — checkered with a slew of criminal fraud charges, a House ethics…
Crypto enforcers wielded a heavy hand this year, but don’t expect it to get softer in 2024
This was quite the year for the crypto industry. From funding shortfalls to the SBF saga playing out in public, the industry and its proponents had a wild year.
Apple warns Indian opposition leaders of state-sponsored iPhone attacks
Apple has warned over a half dozen Indian lawmakers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s main opposition of their iPhones being targets of state-sponsored attacks, these people said Tuesday, in a…
Three leading space companies agree: No new regulations on human spaceflight
Three leading space companies told Congress this week that the industry needs time to mature before federal regulators introduce new safety guidelines for human spaceflight — but that existing regulatory…
Former pilots recount UFO sightings as Congress pushes for transparency
A year after the first congressional hearing on UFOs in 50 years, a House subcommittee revisited some enduring questions around a topic that once would have been laughed off. The…
Congress probes Ford’s big battery deal with China’s CATL
In a public letter addressed to Ford boss Jim Farley, House Republicans Mike Gallagher and Jason Smith announced that two congressional committees are investigating the automaker’s licensing deal with Chinese…
This week in robotics: Teaching robots chores from YouTube, robot dogs at the border and drone consolidation
AI’s grabbing headlines, but the robotics field is still making a significant impact in the real world — and this is your briefing on our latest coverage of the growing…
The United States Department of Homeland Security caused a stir last February when it revealed that it was exploring deploying robot dogs on the U.S./Mexico border. “The southern border can…
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‘So infuriating’: TikTokers are fuming over potential ban
In the aftermath of TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew’s brutal five-hour Congressional hearing on Thursday, TikToker and disinformation researcher Abbie Richards summed up what so many creators were thinking: “It’s actually remarkable how much less Congress knows about social media than the average person,” Richards told TechCrunch. Across TikTok, users…
TikTok CEO says company scans public videos to determine users’ ages
Amid questioning about TikTok’s use of biometrics in today’s Congressional hearing, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew offered some insight into how the company vets potentially underage users on its platform.…
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TikTok CEO testifies before Congress
As the Biden administration escalates its threats against TikTok, the company’s chief executive made his first appearance before Congress on Thursday. Given the U.S. government’s aggressive recent posture, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew was destined for a harsh turn under the glare of the government’s big, bright lights — and…
TikTok questioned on ineffective teen time limits in congressional hearing
In hopes of heading off concerns over the addictiveness of its app, TikTok earlier this month rolled out new screen time controls that limited minors under the age of 18…
In congressional hearing, TikTok commits to deleting US user data from its servers ‘this year’
In his testimony before the U.S. Congress this morning, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said the company plans to delete all U.S. user data from company servers by year-end. The…
TikTok’s hearing in Congress is a reminder of Chinese startups’ identity crisis
TikTok, which now boasts more than 150 million monthly active users in the U.S., is set to testify before Congress on Thursday morning. Over in China, home to TikTok’s parent…
TikTok CEO takes to the app to announce company’s more than 150M active users in the US
Ahead of his testimony before Congress on Thursday, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew announced in a TikTok video that the video app now has more than 150 million users in…
New wave of VC funds show it’s time to rethink how many LPs is ‘too many’
More LPs means more organizational issues, but many firms see the benefit of having more backers. Others don’t have a choice.
Lawyers see crypto regulation coming in 2023 because industry needs to rebuild trust
Given the scale of the damage from the bankruptcies of FTX, Celsius and Voyager, legal frameworks for the crypto industry could come next year.
Meta, TikTok, YouTube and Twitter dodge questions on social media and national security
Executives from four of the biggest social media companies testified before the Senate Homeland Security Committee Wednesday, defending their platforms and their respective safety, privacy and moderation failures in recent…
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What we learned when Twitter whistleblower Mudge testified to Congress
A ticking bomb of security vulnerabilities. Covering up security failures. Duping regulators and misleading lawmakers. These are just some of the allegations when Twitter’s ex-security lead turned whistleblower, Peiter Zatko, testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, less than a month after the release of his explosive whistleblower complaint…
How tech giants are responding to the growing green card backlog
US Citizenship and Immigration Services — the agency responsible for issuing green cards — is barreling toward a failure to adjudicate tens of thousands of applications before a Sept. 30…
Elon Musk taps the Twitter whistleblower for help getting out of the deal
With the Twitter trial date rapidly approaching, Elon Musk’s legal team sent a subpoena to former Twitter head of security Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, who filed a whistleblower complaint against the…
Honda and LG Energy plan to build a $4.4 billion lithium-ion plant in the US
Honda is the latest car company with plans to manufacture lithium-ion batteries in the U.S. The automaker said Monday it is forming a joint venture with LG Energy Solutions to…
Yelp update to warn consumers Crisis Pregnancy Centers aren’t abortion care providers
Following the overturn of Roe v. Wade, companies have been bolstering efforts and navigating the legal landscape to provide care to birthing people. Yelp is now following suit. The company…
US SEC Chair Gensler reiterates crypto stance, frustrating those seeking clarity
Some say the lack of requirements for the crypto industry leaves platforms to innovate in the dark.
U.S. regulators are seizing their moment during this ongoing crypto bear market to crack down on bad actors in the space as many investors are already souring on the asset…
Following a strong showing of bipartisan support in the Senate, the CHIPS Act staved off last minute attempts by the GOP House leadership to derail its passage. Congress’ lower chamber…
